Backward Glances: 'Close to Jackpot Junction' suggested as town's new name

Saturday

Feb 17, 2018 at 12:01 AM

Joshua Dixon

50 years ago

February 1968

• After WCCO-TV did a story spotlighting Morton as an example of “a dying community,” Morton residents reacted with such outrage that WCCO-TV sent a crew out to do a follow-up story about more positive aspects of the town.

• “You will enjoy banking from your car” announced an ad by the State Bank of Redwood Falls as it introduced the town’s first-ever drive-through bank window, with Jean Schiller the new “drive-in teller.”

25 years ago

February 1993

• With the City of Redwood Falls, the City of North Redwood and Honner Township considering consolidating into one governmental unit, the need for a new name for all three was suggested. Just “Redwood” was the most popular, although “Close to Jackpot Junction” was floated, too.

• Melvin Rekedal and Rose Malecha were crowned the Valentine’s Day king and queen at the senior dining site.

• Casey Boe, 13, won the second round of the Knights of Columbus free throw shooting contest, then three days later won the RVMS district spelling bee.

• Every year, the Gazette presented the winner of the spelling bee with a dictionary. Publisher Rick Peterson was overheard grumbling he should give the runners-up the dictionaries and give the winner a job.

• With the recent growth in the number of phones in the area, the Redwood County Telephone Company announced many new phone numbers that would have started with 644- would instead start with 641-.

• The American Legion hall in Redwood Falls hosted a meeting of the Prairieland Chapter of Former Prisoners of War, an event bringing together 19 southwestern Minnesota-area World War II and Korean War veterans who had been prisoners of war.

10 years ago

February 2008

• The RVHS boys hockey team advanced to the Section 3A quarterfinals with a 5-4 victory over the Worthington Trojans, giving the team its first-ever playoff win.

• City water department workers had to dig through six feet of frost to reach a broken water line at the intersection of Cook Street and Galles Drive.

• Local Girl Scouts started an Adopt-A-Grandparent program to help them connect with area senior citizens.

• Local healthcare providers were concerned about a spike in the number of school-age children with the flu.

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